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Thursday, August 30, 2007

I'm going to attempt to answer a few of your questions from your blog comments.

Did you name your kids after cities?

Yes. Well, it didn't really start that way. I just liked the name Austin. Then I liked the name Savannah for my second child. After that we realized we had a theme going. We had to keep up with it. I mean, you can't have an Austin, Savannah, Jackson and then Bob. It just doesn't go. By the time we got to the sixth baby, we'd run out of cities and had to go to the boroughs.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What do your kids think of all this?

I asked them this very question yesterday. "Hey guys, what do you think of all this?"

Here are their responses...

Think of what?Huh?Look at me! I'm a frog!Mom, are you going to be on the computer again tonight?I love you, Mommy!Shoes!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What does your husband think of all this?

He's very proud. I think he's a bit overwhelmed with everything as well. And he's definitely hoping that this ends in a way for me to make a little money so he can start working a normal 40 hour week and spend more time with us.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I'd need a back hoe and dump truck to come in before I'd let anyone take pictures of my house."

Who says I didn't do just that?! LOL Actually I called my husband at work yesterday and politely asked him if could take a vacation day and help me out around the house before the reporter came. OK, so I really called him up and frantically informed him, "You HAVE to stay home tomorrow and do something with the kids so they don't trash the place before the reporter comes! I don't care if he sees the house a little messy and cluttered because that's how it normally looks, but I don't want him to require a Tetanus shot before he leaves. My husband vacuumed and cleaned the bathrooms hooray! Then he tracked mud all over the floor. Gotta love him. Actually, when I bought our carpeting, I walked into the store and told the salesman, "I want carpeting that looks like it's been thrown up on, walked on with muddy shoes, and had cornflakes ground into it, so when those things really do happen, it'll blend."Apparently they don't get that request too often.

After that, I called my friend, Gin, who does my hair, and begged her to cover up my gray (you know, for the black and white picture).

Of course I woke up today with a lovely blemish the size of a Buick on my face. Maybe I'll spritz some Windex on it.

Hi Dawn:)I had to comment on today's post. I also have 6 kids (mine are all boys) and my husband and I have had this conversation about names everytime we are choosing names. We ended up with Bible names. But we just started out naming the kids after family members (they just happened to have Bible names). I swear with #6 I said, "We can't just name him Bob, it won't go with the other names!" Love your blog (as does the rest of the world). Thanks for showing me I'm not the only crazy mom on the planet:)

That's great about your kids' names. We started out with Rebekah and Bethany, and THEN realized they were both seven-letter, three-syllable, biblical names, so we continued with Abigail and Timothy. I'm running out of decent names though! Some of our favorites are Goliath, Jezebel, and Delilah. LOL No, this next one will likely either be Gabriel or Tabitha.

Not that you really care or have time for that. :) But I'm just glad to know of someone else who's quirky about keeping the tradition alive in their kids' names. :)

My hubby does that kinda stuff all the time! At least yours was helping at least in different areas! I love how your kiddos didn't even know what you were talking about, were they watching tv when you asked them?! HA!

I hate when buicks park on my face too! Just wanted to let you know that you help remind me (mother of 4) that somehow we will survive this. If i can keep myself sane and them from growing up to be hookers and or murderers I'll be just fine!Keep up the great writing!

That's too funny! My kids are also named after cities, all in Texas. I have an Austin, Isabel (Port Isabel), Dallas and Alexander. We didn't exactly plan it that way until after we had chosen my daughter's name and later found it on the map. I get all sort of ridiculious comments from people but, I love all their names! :)

Can you tell me the name of that carpet, please? I only have 2 boys...well, 3 if you count my hubby...and I'm desperately in need of new carpet, but don't want to get something 'nice' for fear of it getting destroyed!

I've given up on my carpet. The cleaners are going to come, take one look at it, and provide the name of a good "haul it away and burn it" company. Then I will install laminate. And the carpet is exactly 4 years old. Kids'll do that.I can only assume you're in the Chicago area (my old stompin' grounds), so good luck with the Trib, and let us know when it's available to read! :)

I wished that I could have recorded myself reading your post because when it got to the Buick part... I LOL! Somehow thought the abbreviation: LOL doesn't do justice to what really came out of my mouth!

See that's exactly why I have tile! Then when something like that happens I just drag the waterhose in through the arcadia door and viola everythings clean! And drenched. Aw heck the kids do that already! Good luck on the interview!

You are SO funny! You have captured the attention of moms (and non-moms) around the world! We can all relate to your chaos. You have a way of explaining things that we ALL go through and it’s FUNNY when YOU write about it! My kids drive me bonkers constantly and I get so frustrated but when I read about your day – I laugh hysterically! Your blogs have allowed me to see the humor of my crazy life at home. Some people can’t wait to clock out and go home and rest (what’s that?) I can’t wait for the next morning to come so I can go back to work – and my job isn’t all that exciting! I look forward to reading your blog everyday - Thank you for the laughs!

I LOVE that I got to listen to that radio interview with you because now when I read your posts I can put your voice to the words...does that make sense??? :) You ROCK. I love reading your writing and I commend you for being such a good momma to your children. It's easy to tell you love them very much and they are blessed to have you!!

lol... that pretty much describes the carpet we had in the house I grew up in. The upstairs carpet was a multi-color which had various shades of oranges reds and browns. My mom thought it was pretty. (Hey, it was put down in the mid 70s)

We named our first son Patriot and his initials are PM. My only stipulation for the second son's name was that it start with an "A" to make his initials were AM, so we named him Azlan (my husband wanted a "z." Now I have a morning son and a night son.

I love your kids names too! We don't have a theme, but I do have a Savannah & a Brooke. You picked great names. I know you don't care what I think, but I do like them!

Don't worry, anyone with more than 3 kids have to do an overhaul on the house for company too! I LOVE that you asked for carpet that looked messy already so it blended! We're finishing our basement & I just did the same. Well, I didn't ask the salesman for that, but I looked for it!!Good job!- Kate

I wanted to take a moment and suggest something to you in terms of working at home if your umpteen million other possibilities do not work out for you.

With your incredible writing talent and your beautifully correct grammar usage, have you given any thought to becoming a medical transcriptionist? I work from home as an MT, and my money is quite nice after only a year in the profession. I would be happy to share with you the school information where I attended. It is a bit pricey, but they do have student financial assistance. There are a LOT of SAHM's who have graduated from the school that I attended, as well as current students who are working their way through the program.

The industry needs people like you who pay attention to detail and who have situations where they really need to work from home, and set their own hours. Anyway, I am loving reading your blog entries, and if you would like more information about this career opportunity, please feel free to contact me at: lindahensens@nc.rr.com

I will be more than happy to point you in the direction you need to go. Working from home is very rewarding. Most companies provide the computers and give you a 12-hour-window in which to complete a 7-hour work day.

Given all of your success with your eBay listing and the frenzy it created all over the country, you probably do not even need this option. I just thought I would mention it to you, just in case you wanted to check it out.

I have a Savannah too. Our names don't have reason other than my husband approved. We have a Jacquelyn and a Savannah. I admire people with courage in naming their children. My husband is really picky so I don't have much of a choice. Love the blogs! I totally understand the desperate need to have your husband help clean the house. I don't like people over unless my house is really clean. Needless to say we don't have a lot of house guests.

I have actually said almost the same thing about carpet, tile, furniture---pretty much anything my kids are going to touch. "I want dirt color--that way it will always look clean!" I have so enjoyed reading your blog--I have six little monsters myself, ages 8-16! Keep the laughs coming!

I, also, wanted to let you know that you are not alone with the "name thing". When my brothers named my neices and nephews it went: Sheila, Shayna, Shannon & Chantel (with the SHHH sound). At Christmas time, my grandmother would go, "Shhhhhhhhh. Shhhhhhhhh. (enter explitive that starts with "sh" here)...YOU!" And then she would point to the great-grandchild she wanted.

Hubby's mom and dad didn't get too creative. They named all of their children so that they all, at one time, had the initials C.L.C. No clue why!

Another fan of your blog here...read it daily. I'm only the mother of 1, well, 2 if you count DH, but I'm so right there with ya!

A friend just emailed me your write-up about the Pokemon cards on ebay. I'm sure you've heard this 2,643,987 times, but that was SO FUNNY! I only have two children, but much of what you wrote any Mom who has to shop with her kids can relate to. Then when I came over here to your blog, I laughed until I cried. I can't thank you enough! My mom died 7 months ago and that kind of laughter is rare these days. It felt good. Many blessings to you and yours!!! ;-)

Just wanted to say a quick hello, and good luck with that reporter. Im sure your children will have a hay day with him/her. Congrats on getting your hubby to help you around the house. Did you have to ask him to do it? lol... Well take care of your self and your wonderfull family. till next timexxxKimSpecial Little Bundles Nurserywww.freewebs.com/special_little_bundles/

I heard that toothpast would have the same effect on the Buick. I tried it. Let's just say that the Buick turned into a Winnabego and I didn't need to take my BC pills for a week. Why you ask? Cuz no one would come near me with a ten foot pole! Hope the Windex works. But, I am sure you look fabulous! As long as they don't get a shot of you with a rum IV, you wil be awesome! I look forward to seeing the link. Thanks for the daily laughs. I look forward to seeing the new posts each day. *smooch*

I think I love you. I have not laughed so hard in months! I am also the mummy of many - we have 10 kids together. At one point I was the insta-mummy of 5 new kids plus my 2 and pregnant with another. It's been quite the ride.

I just read your email post on the pokeymon cards and the grocery trip - I HAVE DONE THIS WEEKLY FOR YEARS - and the only thing you left out was the inevitable moment that the littlest one without diapers HAS TO PEE - and of course you are at the furthest spot in the store with the grocery carts at their fullest.

I am a stay-at-home-mom of a 3-year-old and an 8-week-old (both boys) and I am dealing with a bit of postpartum depression. The highlight of my day the past couple weeks has been when I get to sneak a few minutes away to read your blog! Thanks! I appreciate you more than you can know!

I LOVE YOUR BLOG! I also love that you stuck to a theme when picking out names. Kinda nice when you have so many, you can just start screaming out city's and you'll eventually get to your kids names! I have a friend who named 3 of her kids Candace, Cierra, Caleb, and then there's Thomas and Larrisa. What!?!? It's like they are the step kids. I did't have a theme just a requirement of names that could not be shortened. I have 4 kids and I had them all in less than 4 years, in fact I gave birth to #4 on #3 birthday.(yes you read correctly) I live in a house full of little ones and your eaby auction was sent to me by a friend, I laughed till I about fell off the chair! I then jumped over to your blog and have been hooked ever since. Reading your blog and all the comments from other moms just like me has helped me feel "normal", not everyone understands that pudding ends up in weird places and letting your kids go out in public dressed like a superhero is sometimes just necissary. Can't wait for the book!Mandy, Mom to:Conner, 5Emma, 3Lilly, 2Calire, 1

I know you don't have much time with all that is going on but I was wondering...Do you feel overwhelmed and pressured to keep posting on your blog because of your sudden popularity? I am not asking you to stop because I visit everyday and would actually have to do something productive if you stopped. I was just curious.....

Can't do the city names/kids' names in Icelandic, it would sound ridiculous, though.

The carpet - well actually I can't for the life of me understand why Americans (and Brits as well, actually) use all those carpets. Get terribly dusty and dirty and yukky, even though you vacuum all the time. I have all wooden floors, plus tile in kitchen and bathroom. Love it...

LOL windex is the solution to everything! I believe thats from Big fat greek wedding. So I am guessing your carpet is a variety of colours? Im sure the reporter will survive and so will you. Good Luck♥Victor

You truly are a gifted writer. I can "hear" your voice in your writing style, and that is something not many people can do.

Oh, and blemishes are the reason that there's PhotoShop. Just ask the photographer to "be kind" to you.

About kid names: love that you have a theme and the names are all still very cool. Sometimes families hit on a theme and then run into trouble. I dated a boy in high school who had 10 siblings. All of them had names that started with the letter "T," until the baby came along. His name was Chris. I'm not kidding.

I have 2 boys. The first one's name is Van. So for son #2, we decided to stick with a three-letter name. We settled on Cal. The neat thing is that their names really fit who they are.

I can't resist - I know you are getting a gazillion comments a day but - When I was pregnant with my first I had to go shopping on one of those "Bad prego days" (kinda like a bad hair day - only not). Anyway - as I get to the register after waiting in line a year or so while listening to the 18yr. old, skinny, blond, ditz make major stupid conversation with everyone in front of me - she sees my last name (which is Fujan) and says "Like how to you say that...giggle" So I tell her it was pronounced Fuyon ( course it took her a minute to figure out what pronounced meant) Then she says brightly "Oh are you going to name your baby "Egg" - "Like Egg Fuyon...giggle" I was NOT amused...LOL

I always said that the ideal family room was tiled and if you could have a drain hole in the center it would be perfect. We currently live in an all tiled house and it is so much easier to clean than carpet ever was. You just squeegee everything out the door!

We have that exact same carpet! (Vomit/mud/corn flakes). Only my request was Oreo crumbs. In fact, I begged my husband agree to buy the house BECAUSE of that carpet. The carpet was the clincher.

I can't wait to read your book...tell your husband you WILL make some money so he can work less hours...because we are all going to buy your book!

As for the clothes thing? My 12 year old son picks out clothes that don't match ON PURPOSE. Just because he knows it bugs me. It's such a guy thing. I can make that sexist statement, since I am soon to be the mom of three boys. ;)

I LOVE your blog!! I just found it today after a friend sent a link to your Pokemon stuff on Ebay. What a riot!! I'm sending a link to your blog to a good friend of mine who also is a mom of 6. It's not often that I find something to read that makes me laugh out loud when no one else is in the room...but you did it!!! Thanks a bunch!!

I work from home and have 3 children (Jessica 8,Matt 6, and Michael 19 months) and this blog is wonderful! Yesterday somehow I managed to throw my cell phone away at my children's elementary school, which then made me late getting my daughter to her dance class, and explains why I couldn't 'find' my babysitter's phone number (in the cell phone, of course...) to let her know I was late and finally I ended the day getting my son to his soccer practice 30 minutes late (which was happily announced by the 8 little 6 year olds as we walked up to the field!!). Today's looking up...after only 10 minutes digging through the elementary school's dumpster (as my sister called it continously)... I found the recently purchased $120 cell phone....As you know...it's days like this that one day I'll look back upon and laugh hysterically...and I think only a Mom has the capacity to actually somehow enjoy such chaos !!! You're blog makes me realize I'm not alone...Thank you for letting me laugh with you and at myself!

My mother emailed me the link to your Ebay auction. I desperately needed that. Thank you so much. I am now reviewing your blog and getting some very healthy belly laughs. I only have three kids but I can relate to some of the shenanigans that yours have pulled. Keep up the great work and I hope you do end up with a book.

In reading your blog I think you may live not too far from me. I also have a blog www.2grlsmom@spaces.live.com . Stop by if you get a chance. BTW, the ebay auction was brilliant. I only have two kids and they manage to sneak stuff in on me all the time.

I am so happy for you! I pray you find a few moments of peace in each day to keep your sense of humor.

Still wondering if your my 1/2 sister Dawn, is your sister's name Tracy?

My solution to the carpet was sweat equity in exchange for hardwood throughout the main parts of the house! Only have 4 kids but we also have 4 dogs 2 cats, a turtle & 3 tanks with fish. NO inside birds but we have a crazy squirrel and a Daddy Cardinal that will perch on the window of what ever room I am in to let me know he is out of sunflowers outside

You know what I think you and I are twins seperated at birth!!! When my husband and I went to look at new livingroom furniture the sales lady asked me what color I wanted I told her something that looks like MUD!!!

I have 5 kids 19 PETE 17 kADIE 14 Luke 4 Noah and 3 Sawyer. Needless to say there is an age gap!! Why? Because I remarried and during the marital bliss I said to my husband lets have a baby. I was blinded by love and somehow forgot that I was OLD.WE had Noah and I said well we cant just have one he needs a playmate. Ok so now I have 5 kids and I totally think I have lost my mind. I am 41 but on most days feel as though I am 90. I havent had a full nights sleep in years. I stay up late at night to find the floors that I know are there because they are holding up the mess. There is no way in heck I would allow anyone to enter my home unannounced for fear of being turned in. My 2 younger ones who have so many toys Santa would faint refuse to play with them but would rather open up packages of Kool Aid and sprinkle them all over the house. They always seem to pick the ones that dont show until someone asks at the store why are your kids feet red. Now in the summer they rarely wear shoes becaue i can never find ones that match. They have several pairs each but I can never find complete pairs as we are ready to leave the house.

For those that can't relate to your sarcasm, they should see the love you have for children in the picture you chose at the top of your blog. Those eyes and that expression are more precious than the chocolate. And of course, the fact that you are "hanging in there with a sense of humor as the main weapon on the front lines of child rearing. I think you are doing terrific! And those that think "some people shouldn't have kids" are probably the ones who shouldn't!

I was never going to have kids with snot on their nose or shoes on the wrong feet at the grocery store. HAH! I was blessed with 2 kids whose eyes watered for the first year - constant eye infection. And a daughter with a minor immune system problem that had a green runny nose for the first 4 years until she outgrew it. I love my kids and I love to laugh at them. Thanks for helping unite moms.

Oh Dawn we love that your house is a mess and your kids are chaotic lol dont worry about the photos! Think of it this way - you are making it cool to live a fun and happy life with your kids, not beating them into submission in case they offend someone's sick idea of the 'perfect child', (does a perfect child even exist???).Grab a tropical rum cocktail with a paper umbrella, and enjoy your new found fame, (oh and milk it for every penny lol).Remember - what we love about you and your blog is that it's REAL life.

You rock!Keep on riding this train because right now you are the Irma Bombeck of our generation. Dont be Irma, be you and you will end up with some cash even if I have to publish your new book myself! I am sure that wont be a problem.

LOL! My dh and I have threatened to rent some of those POD's storage containers, and clean *EVERYTHING* out of our house (mostly kiddylinks' stuff) and then fumigate the entire premises. Somehow, tho', I think a dumpster would be more appropriate!

On one of those days that the house *really* gets to you, turn on BBCA and watch the program "How Clean Is Your House?" Then you'll be sitting there, polishing your nails on your shirt, saying, "Well, our house isn't *so* bad, after all!" :-D

I have to say, being at that age myself, that it should be against the laws of nature for there to be an age where you can have BOTH gray hair AND blemishes. It's just sick and wrong. The two should be mutually exclusive!

Love your blog. I have 4 kids and there are still days I'm not sure this is my calling, but whata ya do? It's not like I can stand up at the moms group where I'm part of the leadership team and say, "Ok, that's it, I resign from all of this. My kids are in the bunnies and bears room, arm wrestle over which one you want." I posted yesterday about our not so great adventure with Chick Fil A and their princess night. Some days you just have to laugh to keep from crying!

I too have a theme, or actually a couple for my kids names. Firstly they all have a 'Y' in them. Then, not knowingly we named them all noun names. Haha. We have Sabryna, Mychigan, Daisy, and Ryver. So it goes 'person, place, thing, and then place/thing.' I love your names by the way, especially Lexington...very original, which I like!Keep up the good work, I love your blog!

Look at me! I'm a frog!That's the funniest thing I have read all day! Glad to hear your not going crazy from all this attention. Stay strong, and keep everyone up to date on the life and times of your "brood".

My friend told me about your ebay listing and I got your blog from there... You are very funny and I give you a lot of credit for taking 6 kids to grocery shopping! You are funny and witty and I've already subscribed you in my blogroll :) I look forward reading all your posts!

I am sitting at my computer and tears are just rolling down my face - and I laughing so hard I can barely explain to my husband what is just so darn funny!! I come from a family of 5 kids ... and the age difference between oldest & youngest is 10 years. When out in public as the herd we were, we older children were often the cause of more trauma to my mother b/c we would incite the younger ones to be naughty, and we would embarass her on purpose (your butt paste comment might have gone from kids to mom). I give you a ton of credit - it sure ain't easy :) But I can't imagine life any other way. And your children will look back on these times and laugh, as much as you do. If not more, b/c when moms get mad, they make some funny faces ... and they say some funny things ... and kids have very long memories ;) Keep up the good work, Mom!!!!

Hey!!! The giant blemish thing happend to me on my wedding day!!! I went to the Clinique counter crying..."PLEASE HELP ME!!!" oh well. It's okay because I waxed off my eyebrows 2 weeks before, so no one really noticed the zit. So in all the pictures I have a huge red stop sign on my cheek and half eyebrows. You'll be fine...

Hi, I just found your blog from an ebay link someone sent. Someone with such a great sense of humour must have a great blog too, and I was right! I only have half your lot and that keeps me on my toes!!Keep up the writing and I am adding you to my blog roll so I can be entertained!! PS: Seriously -= write a book!

Hello,We are missionaries over here in Scotland and it gets very depressing sometimes and feel like why go on. Then I get to read your blog and laugh and feel better and am ready to face the world again..Thanks so much for doing this...God Bless you all!!

The question about city naming made me think. My second son has his father surname, Keulen, which is Dutch for Germanys 4th city: Cologne(Köln). I called my second son Kars, a Scandinavian boys name to the best of my knowledge. Only recently (he is 18 now) we (he actually) found out this is also a city. In Turkey. So he is named after two cities.

Please move to Australia! Our government pays you $4000 per child :D Come on, you could make a fortune! And I think if you have another baby, you'll never have to pay tax again! Muahahahaha! I love your blog, I'm very devoted to it and I really hope you publish a book out of all this :D

On the carpet thing... A friend of my mom's once brought home a white carpet swatch and laid it just inside the kitchen door to be used as a welcome mat. A month later, you can only imagine the beautiful shade of muddy, grungy brown it had become. She then took it to the carpet store and said "match this!" She then had the perfect shade of kid-friendly carpet put down all over the house.

It is SO nice to know that I am not the only mom out there teetering on the brink of insanity! I am a mom of 5 - 8yo, 6yo, 3yo and 1 yo twins. There are some days when I want to just pull the covers back over my head and go back to dreamland!

Thanks for your stories and the laughter you put into every situation!

I loved the grocery store story. Especially the apple part. Something similar happened with my 6 yr old DD. We just painted her walls in her room and told her NOT to tape anything on her wall. One day I went in there to find pictures on her wall. I said to her " Didn't we tell you not to tape anything to the wall?" She replied' "I didn't tape it, I GLUED it up!" UGH!

When we first moved to Chicago, my husband and I found the perfect house in the burbs, but it had vinyl flooring in the whole house, except the master bedroom. I mean the whole house - kitchen, family room, bathrooms, halls, stairs and bedrooms in this nasty brown fake parquet-look vinyl. It was horrid! And it didn't look like the current owners had more than 1 or 2 kids! I guess easy care won out over style. I still shudder when I think of it...

Oh my..... your blog is so busy that it takes forever to load and I have a fast cable connection. Anyway you are to Funny. Someone could just take all the blogs that you have already written and turn that in to a great book. That would save lots of time (and waiting for those of us that can't wait to read it) and you would get paid faster, You may end up like J.K. Rowling ( Harry Potter author) and your husband may never need to work again.....GOOD LUCK!!!

A friend of mine, actually my midwife, forwarded me your ebay site. She knew I would understand everything perfectly. I am the mother of 5. The last 2 are 2 year old twins.(God help us. Don't we know by now what causes this? Ha Ha) As I read your site to my husband, I would laugh and say, "I know this woman!" His responce..."I can tell by how you're reading it." It is very refreshing to know I am not the only one dealing with stupid comments like, "Are they all yours?" The ones I really enjoy though are, "Are they twins?" No, I just had them really really close together. Or while they are in pink dresses, "Are they girls?" No, they are both boys. I'm just trying to confuse them.

Thank you so much for a great laugh. I think you have made my entire families week. Hope you do write the book. When it is published I will be sure and buy a copy.

From all the other comments it looks like they'll have to re-name your carpet color "Dawn, mom from ebay". I've enjoyed reading your blog. I actually have it linked on my blog! LOL I only have 3 kids and tile through my entire house........I have no idea how you do it and still have hair left....and sanity. Oh and a comment about your homeschool blog a while back. I too think homeschooling is great for kids, but I know I wouldn't make it back into heaven if I did that!

The only problem with publishing your blog stories is that I've already read them all! SO PLEASE write an entire book.. it will be the third book I've read in my LIFE!Obviously I am not a reader, sorry.. boo hoo on me I guess, but no one writes stuff like this, or I would read every day. Are there books that I should be reading to laugh this hard? Can some one please tell me?

The weirdest "unauthorised shopping" my kids ever did (yeah, it's happened enough that we have a term for it :-P) were a tube of Fixodent (nope, don't need that - yet) and a $5 and change bag of cake or bread mix. $5?!? Mother was not pleased.

Kudos to you for your awesome writing. :) I'm way impressed that you have 14 brain cells left. I'm pretty sure I'm in the red, and I only have 4 kids.

Dawn- I know you're crazy busy (even more so than normal)I just posted on my blog a little story that you can probably relate to. Feel free to check it out!I love your blog cuz it shows that my kids are just "normal"!Thanks so much - Kate

I have had several people who saw me mention my BALD CHICKEN on here write to me and ask about the story. So I wanted to let you and them know it is on my blog now with a picture and all. Maybe I can return the laugh to you and make you smile like your blog has done for me!! I have always had a soft spot for all animals!!

I just wanted to say that you seem like such a great mom and I think you have a wonderful sense of humor. I only have one child so far, Kathryn 2, and she is a handful for me. I plan on having more because I grew up in a family of 6. People always said that my parents were quote " real Catholics" and I was weird to have so many siblings. I would just answer that it is great that my parents love kids so much and it is even more wonderful having so many brothers and sister. You know, when one or 4 siblings are mad at you, you always have one left to talk too unless they're not around and then your just shit out of luck and you can try again tomorrow. To end this comment I just want to tell you to keep on trucking. You really are my inspiration as a mom.

I really love reading your blog!! My husband and I get the best laugh from reading your blog and especially from your quick wit!!! I have two girls with a boy on the way and your writing puts the sanity back into the daily routine!! Love it!!

Dawn, I hope that you don't mind but I have been singing your praises on myspace and sending moms galore your way. A lot of my friends and I suffer from disabilities and we can always use a good laugh. I love to read your blog because it makes me feel good.

My kids make me laugh but since I have been reading your blog I have been able to laugh off a whole lot more.

I'm slightly jealous, I have been working on a book for months and I know that I have work to do in order for it to be published. You are so talented that your work speaks for itself. That is so awesome!

Girl I love what you wrote ! Im a mom of 5 and can relate with everyword of what you say.I enjoyed the shopping trip and the samples. I do try to pass those by but they seem to always be screaming in my face IM HERE IM HERE DONT FORGET ME ! Oh if I had a 1.00 for everytime I heard the little ones in the cart gag , cough,choke ..spit ..now these are the kids that swore they had to have this nice little sample you know it was their favorite and they have been wanting some of for years mom YEARS ir was that DECADES ! Oh and yep walking through that store with your hand clutched in a fist trying to find someplace to throw that sample they HAD TO HAVE AND WANTED ALL YEAR or wait silly forget ful me DECADES!I have resorted to my purse because some stores dont ever have a trash can. Well you know . There is NEVER a trash can when you need one!

your kids names are great - and I like the theme...I was just thinking the other day that our oldest twin has 2 one syllable names, and the younger has 2 two syllable names, the baby has 2 3 syllalbe names - since I don't know any 4 syllable names -I guess we're done!

The house my parents built in the early 1097's had similar carpet. It had flecks of gold, brouwn, red, orange and green. I think it was called autumn leaves.

I tore the carpet out 5 kids ago. There is ugly linoleum on the floors that was under the carpet. Under the linoleum and plywood, there are old oak or maple floors. If only I had time and energy to tear the rest up and refinish the floors.

You know there is a really cool blogging website where you can earn points and stuff for gift cards. If you make alot of points really fast thought they pay you out in cash I guess. I just saw your answer to hoping you could profit from this and this is just a "little" way. You can post all of your archived blogs too. Here is the link its worth at least a look right? http://www.gather.com/inviteLanding.jsp?parentMemberId=288588&tc=11

I just had to share that as I was reading your blog and laughing, and that's when I smelled it. A strange odor coming from my kitchen. Just then, I realized that I left tomatoes on the stove for the homemade salsa that I WAS making before I put my 14 month old to bed. Well, since her room is right next to my office, it only seemed natural to check my email. I received an email link to an ebay post that directed me to your blog. Now about that salsa that I was making...ummm...really, really blackened now. Somehow, that doesn't seem like anything compared to your days. Thanks for helping us laugh. Well, gotta go chizel salsa out of a pan.

Like i have said before I am a mom off 4, 1 girl and 3 boys, 9,6,4,and 2. I suffer from depression and by 7pm everyday chocolate candies and soda become my best friend. Now I must say who needs chocolate when I can just come here read your blog and laugh? I know I don't anymore. I am sitting here with my stash and not eating it cause I am afraid that I will choke on a Hershey kiss. I am enjoying your blog so much and the laughter is helping me stay in a very good mood tonight!! My boys since I have been reading your blog in the last hour have dumped water all over my dinning room table..instead of getting really mad and yelling at them i just told them to go play threw a towel on it so i could come and laugh some more!!Thank you!!!

Your ebay entry was like a breath of fresh air. I am currently working offshore on an oil rig in the South China Sea off the coast of Brunei (very close to Malaysia....not far from Singapore). Yes, news of your ebay entry has made it halfway around the world.

I will send it to my wife, but I will probably have to read it to her myself because we have two small children (5 and 2 1/2)..... she is generally way to busy (and exhausted) to click on the links that I email to her!!